Line adjuster



P. C. FLY

LINE ADJUSTER Nov. 5, 1940.

Filed Aug. l 26, 1939 [N VEN TOR.' Ey."

A ToieNEY Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My present invention relates to an adjuster or adjusting means foradjusting the links of clothes lines, and the like.

One of the .principal objects of this invention 1s to provide anadjuster or adjusting meansl of this class which may be directly placedupon or against a clothes line, or against any other slightly taut line,and slightly rotated for tightening .the same or taking up the linksthereof.

Another very important `object of this invention is to provide anadjusting means of this class whereby the links of a clothes line, orthe like, may be taken up or shortened either a small or a large amount.

An important object also is to provide a device of this class which maybe easily removed from the clothes line, or the like, when desired.

A further important object of this invention is to provide an adjusteror adjusting means of this class which is extremely simple andeconomical to make so that one of the adjusters or devices may be usedon every line which may need adjustment.

A still further object of this invention is to provide simple andeconomical means for applying exterior force for operating the adjustingmeans.

With these and -other objects in view, as will be presented hereinafter,I have devised an adjuster or adjusting means of this class, havingcertain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts and portions, as will be hereinafter described and particularlyset forth in the attached claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon, whichform a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my adjuster, in a preferred form ofconstruction, as applied to a clothes line takeup means;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof taken at approximately 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view .taken from the opposite side from that shown in Fig.1; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sec-tional View taken through 5--5 of Fig. 3.

My adjuster for taking up the links of clothes lines, and the like, asshown in the drawing, is preferably punched from a single piece of sheetmetal of preferably 16 gauge, or heavier. This sheet of metal I shallhereafter refer to as a disc. From this disc are pressed or punched twoears l and 2, preferably in alignment with each other (Cl. 2li-71.2)

but radiating in opposite directions from the center of the disc. Theseears are formed as hooks, and provide with each other a Winding reelbetween the hooks and the face of the disc, as shown best in Figs. 2 and3.

At the periphery of ithe disc is a ratchet consisting of Iteeth 3 whichare made by pressing the peripheral portion of the disc towards the sameside at which the ears or hooks l and 2 are located. These teeth, shownbest in Figs. 1 and 2 are located in substantially the same planepassing through the reel formed by the hooks l and 2. These teeth 3 arepreferably considerably undercut, as indicated by 3a in Fig. 2, so as toretain conveniently a clothes line, or thelike, recessed therein.

The disc, designated lgenerally as A, is placed against the clothes lineB with the clothes line passing between the hooks I and 2 and betweenpairs of teeth 3. The device is then rotated in a counterclockwisedirection, as shown and indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. This causesthe line to be wound on the reel and to pass over successivediametrically opposed .teeth 3, and to be recessed and held in thenotches in the ends of the teeth, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to facilitate the retention of the device on the line, aftermerely a slight rotation of the device, the portions of the hooks,adjacent the plate portion of the disc are notched out, as indicated by2a in Fig. 5.

In order further to facilitate the winding of the line upon the reel,the outer ends of the hooks are slightly twisted and bent outwardly, asindicated by lb and 2b, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 5.

It will be noted that the inner portions of the hooks are substantiallyin the plane -of the ratchet teeth 3, and the outwardly bent portions ofthe outer ends of the hooks direct the line inwardly and into suchplane.

To facilitate the twisting or turning of the device when placed upon aclothes line or the like, particularly when the line is quite taut, Ihave provided hooks 4 and 5 at the back side of the plate or disc. Theseare also pressed from the plate portion, and are positioned at theopposite sides of the hooks I and 2. The hooks 4 and 5 also extend inopposite lateral directions. This permits a nail, or1 other instrument6, to be placed between the hooks 4 and 5, as indicated by dotted linesin Fig. 4, and then rotated in a clockwise direction until it assumesthe full line position, in which position the nail, or other instrument,

Will be held by or under the hooks 4 and 5. In this manner the adjuster,or the disc, shown in Fig. 4, may be readily rotated in a clockwisedirection, for winding up the line, or taking up the slack thereof, asshown in Fig. 1.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction,combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not Wish to belimited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention,the construction, combination, and arrangement, substantially as setforth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an adjuster of the class described, a sheet metal disc having apair of spaced ears pressed from the middle portion thereof toward oneside, said ears being in the shape of oppositely positioned hooks andprovide together a reeling means, and a ratchet a-t the periphery of thedisc.

2. In an adjuster of the class described, a sheet metal disc having apair of spaced ears pressed from the middle portion thereof toward oneside, said ears being in the shape of oppositely positioned hooks andprovide -together a reeling means, and a ratchet pressed from theperiphery of the disc towards the same side as the ears.

3. In an adjuster of the class described, a sheet metal disc having apair of spaced ears pressed from the middle portion thereof toward oneside, said ears being in .the shape of oppositely positioned hooksproviding With each other a reeling means, a ratchet at the periphery ofthe disc, and a pair of other spaced lhooks pressed from the disc towardthe opposite side, the latter hooks being off-set from each other andextended in opposite lateral directions.

1. In an adjuster of the class described, a sheet metal disc having apair of spaced ears pressed from the middle portion thereof toward oneside, said ears being in the shape of oppositely positioned hooksproviding with each other a reeling means, a ratchet comprising a iiangehaving teeth at its edge, pressed from the periphery of the disc towardsthe same side as the ears, and a pair of other spaced hooks pressed fromthe disc towards the opposite side, the latter hooks being olf-set fromeach other and extended in opposite lateral direc-tions.

PAUL C. FLY.

